Regional train derailment near Rouen: 300 kg rail placed on track, 44 injured
A regional express train (TER) connecting Rouen to Caen derailed on Friday evening in Cléon, injuring 44 people. A piece of rail weighing nearly 300 kg found on the track points the investigation towards a malicious act.
A section of rail found on the track after a regional train derailment in Cléon
A malicious act is suspected following the derailment of a regional express train (TER) that occurred on Friday 19 July at around 19:45 between Tourville and Elbeuf-Saint-Aubin stations, near the municipality of Cléon (Seine-Maritime), south of Rouen. The accident injured 44 people. According to 20min.ch, citing a police source who contacted the AFP, a piece of rail weighing nearly 300 kg was discovered on the track used by the train.
The train, made up of two units, was carrying 186 people at the time of the incident. An 18-year-old passenger was evacuated by helicopter to Rouen University Hospital in "absolute emergency" condition. Forty-three other passengers were treated for "relative emergency", the prosecutor of Rouen, Sébastien Gallois, specified. The main victim's life is not in danger.
Massive mobilisation of emergency services
Upon activation of the alert, 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles were deployed on site. The Seine-Maritime prefect activated the Orsec plan for multiple victims (NOVI) and travelled to the scene. Uninjured passengers were taken to a room made available by the mayor of Cléon, according to the prefecture.
The train driver was subjected to alcohol and drug tests, all of which came back negative, prosecutor Gallois emphasised.
"The windows partially shattered"
Witnesses on board described the violence of the impact. Louis, 24, told ICI Normandie: "Suddenly there were a few jolts, then after three seconds it got stronger and stronger." He added: "I couldn't stay in my seat. The windows partially shattered, rocks from the track came into the carriage. It was really shocking, I'm still trembling from it."
On Saturday morning, an AFP photographer observed numerous SNCF staff working around the train, which was immobilised in a tree-lined area near the Renault factory in Cléon.
Investigation opened, traffic disrupted
The judicial police in Rouen have taken over the investigation. Investigators must still establish the exact role of the piece of rail discovered on the track, as well as the identity of any persons who may have placed it there, according to the prosecutor's office.
The accident caused "severe disruptions" to the regional railway network, particularly between Rouen and Caen and between Caen and Le Havre, in both directions. Traffic on the Paris-Rouen and Rouen-Amiens lines has since been restored, a SNCF Réseau spokesperson said on Saturday morning. On the Rouen-Caen line itself, a substitute coach service has been put in place, according to SNCF Voyageurs.
In order to lift the train, SNCF Réseau teams must wait for the prosecutor to "release the area", with no specific timeframe yet determined.
SNCF expressed "its full solidarity with the injured passengers and their families, as well as with all SNCF staff mobilised on site". The company stated that it would provide the investigation with "full cooperation and transparency".
Source: TF1 Info